She was smiling from ear to ear and her eyes were sparkling. Her obviously proud dad and mom, grandpa and grandma, and aunt and uncle all followed her down the hall as if she were a princess on the way to her coronation.

She had a painting hanging in the Herfindahl Gallery. She was very proud of her accomplishment and so were her family members.

The budding artist’s special day was the elementary art show open house at the Albert Lea Art Center, and her work will hang in the gallery alongside that of her friends and other area students until the end of the month, so other visitors can enjoy the elephants, scarecrows, hands ‘n feet, King Tutankhamen, polar bears and other delightful pieces.

Each year, when the area elementary schools show their art work, this story is re-enacted —  proud children and families tasting a little recognition and success. This is the stuff that family photo albums are made of.

When I was in college, one of my instructors stated, “Usually, when a student takes a college art class, he or she is picking up where they left off in sixth grade. The training stopped at the end of elementary school, and there is several years of catching up to do, before any real artistic progress is made.” He then went onto describe the freedom of expression of a young child, before someone says, “Oh, what is that?” or “That is weird.” or “That doesn’t look like a …” During our discussion that day, we talked about art as a way of expressing our feelings, our moods, and our way of interpreting the world, and we came to the conclusion that often as we grow older, we become intimidated by the reactions of others, and we rate our own creativity on the basis of someone else’s opinions. Our art is no longer independent and fun.

When a child is learning new forms of art, there are many other things happening.

In “Meaning in Children’s Art,” Mattil and Marzan state, “Art.. .can be an extraordinary means of helping children learn about themselves and others. Wherever possible, we relate the project to the art experiences of other people’s whose cultures and lifestyles differ from our own. Art is the ideal subject to develop understanding and give meaning to so many of the objects people have made since the beginning of life on earth. Art is indeed a timeless and universal language.

“In the broadest sense, the art of children is comparable to folk art, or the popular art of the people, as distinguished from the sophisticated, elite, or professional art that makes up the mainstream of our society. Folk art is not created for museums; rather it is made to be enjoyed, used, consumed, even thrown away after its function has been served.”

This I find interesting, because I love folk art. It speaks to me of home and family and expression, and I believe it creates great museum exhibits.

According to Mattil and Marzan, “The folk artist, like the child, learns to use effectively the materials at hand — often ordinary materials such as straw, tin, or papier-mché… Folk art is sometimes described as ‘childlike and fresh.’ The work may be free and spontaneous, bright and cheerful, or somber and serious. It might be simplified, abstract, exaggerated or distorted. Folk art and child art seem more closely allied to the everyday immediate human concerns. Children, like folk artists, depict the world which they experience and know.”

Maybe many of these students had the same subject matter, but each piece is different, drawn from their own imagination. In creating this art, these children are learning an appreciation and respect for the art world with all of its variety and uniqueness. Each colorful, bright and lively piece truly is a work of art.

That little girl’s art had advanced from the classroom to a real gallery, and I felt that I was watching a new world open up for her.

Bev Jackson Cotter is a member of the Albert Lea Art Center, where the works of area elementary students will be on display through March 28. Art Center hours are noon to 4 p.m, Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.